WordPress is an awesome Content Management System (CMS). Compared to many other leading CMS platforms (such as Drupal, Kentico, or Joomla), one of the great things about WordPress is how easy it is to keep the system updated and secure. Obviously, it is 2018 and there is no such thing as a “perfect” system – every CMS is vulnerable to attacks. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to keep WordPress as safe and stable as possible. One area often overlooked is unused plugins.
One of the things that makes WordPress so amazing is how easy it is to install any of the countless plugins to expand your site’s offerings to fit your business needs. With just a few clicks, a new plugin can be installed and with just a few minutes of configuration, it can be ready to use. Once a good and stable plugin is selected and installed, keeping it updated regularly will help keep your site and that plugin safe and stable. However, it’s important to remember that when you’re done using that plugin or if you switch to a new plugin, you need to delete that plugin.
Alternatively, you can deactivate the plugin, but if you choose to go that route, the plugin’s code is still lying dormant on your site. The problem with unused plugins is that it can be easy to forget to update them. Kind of like an “out of sight – out of mind” sort of thing; if the plugin isn’t used, it’s easily overlooked during updates. So instead of just deactivating the plugin, be sure to go through and fully delete it.
There are some plugins, however, that for various reasons, you might not want to delete after you’re done with them. If that is the case, just be sure to always run the plugin updates as they become available. At Full Scope, we recommend checking for updates at least 3 times per week.
WordPress is a great CMS, partially because of the wide range of plugins available for use. That wide range of plugins, if left installed and forgotten, can also be a major undoing of WordPress. One of the best ways to keep your site safe and secure is to keep your plugins updated, and, if they aren’t being used, simply delete them.